Machine for disintegrating, cleaning, and assorting fibrous materials.



No. 810,898. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

W. s. ARCHER. MACHINE PORDISINTEGRATING, CLEANING, AND ASSORTING FIBROU-S MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1904- fan 1'1 [1 u U u Fie.2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR l /oze/ifiowsh. Y W M ATTO F? N E? citizen of the United States, residing at Provi UNITED STATES PATENT V curios. V

WILLIAM- S. ARCHER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. I MACHINE FOR DISINTEGRATING, CLEANING, AND ASSORTING l-lBROUS MATERIALS. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To all whom ,it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. ARCHER, a

dence, in the county of Providenceand State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Disintegrating,Cleaning, and Assorting Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a specification, reference'being had'therein to the'accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of machines for cleaning and disintegrating fibers wherein the foreign or extraneous matters are eliminated by the use of grid and similar toothed bars, and has for its objecta mechanism which is adapted to clean or disintegrate a variety of fibers, either vegetable, animal, or mineral, with a minimum of adjustment, to segregate into their respective classes the by-products or refuse resulting from the cleansing operation and to attain with increased speed and efficacy at a minimum cost the ends commonly sought in this class of mechanisms." 1 7 Other advantages will later appear in the description and be claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal 'c'entral'section of the novel mechanism; Fig. 2, a plan view of one of the bars, and Fig. 3 an end elevation of same.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the views.

. A convenient structure for embodying the invention comprises a substantially air-tight casing or frame 1, in the forward portion of which is mounted rolls 2 '2 for driving a horizontally-disposed apron 4, upon which the asbestos or other fiber to be cleaned or disingrated isoriginally placed. Adjacent the inner extremity are mounted a pair of feedrollers .5, through which the fiber is fed toward the lower surface of a picker-roller 6, also mounted on a revoluble shaft 7 in the casing and which coacts with the double teeth of a plurality of cleaning-bars 8 to perform the first cleaning or disintegrating step. The

latter are fixedly mounted in the sides 'of the casing. A deflecting-plate 3 is fixed to the.

casing in the rear of the picker-roll. Horizontal channels 10 traverse the inner sides of the casing, in which are adjustably supported the ends 11 of a series of cleaning-bars 12, 13,

- and 14. The bars, (shown in detail in Figs.

2 and 3,) with their longitudinally-disposed teeth series 15, are arranged as follows:

The bars 12 nearer the picker-roll are inclined rearwardly, so that the upper or knife edge is slightly disposed in adirection opposite the travel of the fibers. The next or central series of bars 13 are mounted exactly perpendicular, and one of the series has depending from its lower edge a rectangular strip 16,

which serves as a transverse wall in the casing.

.The third or final bar series 1i areinclined partition 21, is a circular cage 22, whose body is preferably formed of a wire mesh and which is mounted upon a perforated hollow shaft 23, journaled in the casing. At a distance' above the cage 22 is mounted in the casingasecond cage 24, similarly constructed and mounted upon a'hollow perforated shaft 25.

These cages are rotated in oppositedirections from any convenient source'of power. -Mounted in the casing contiguous to the cages 22 and 24., respectively, are rollers 26 and 27 with rough surfaces, which both serve to strip any adhering fiber from the cages and at the same time facilitates the delivery of the fiber through the opening 28 in the rear of the casing.

I A blow or dust pipe 29 leads from the outer end of the hollow shaft 25 to a blower 30 outside the casing, and a branch blow or dust pipe 31 leads from pipe 29 to the outer end of the hollow shaft 23. l

The operation of my machine is as follows: The fiber. to be treated is fed by the apron 4 and rolls 5 into the casing intermediate the picker-r0116 and the double-toothed bars 8, where the interaction of the picker and barteeth assist the segregation of the heaviest refuse,;whi ch is carried down between the bars by gravitation, The deflector-plate 2' deflects stones and heavy matter intermediate the bars below. Continuously from'its first entrance into the casing the fiber is subjected to the strong suctionin ahorizontal ,direction I 31, which causes the long fiber to travel over the toothedupper' edges of the various bar series 12, 13, and 14 successively. The varying nature and condition ofdifierent fibers demands at times a changeof intensity ,in' the air-current. This is attained by varying the speed of the blower. The fibrous material in its passage overthe bars 12 discards its heavy refuse downwardly intermediate the latter into compartment 18. Proceeding, the fiber passes over the bars 13, which have a lesspositive or harsh effect upon the fiber already partially cleansed, and deposits its waste matter and short fiber in compartment 19. Continuing, the" fiber passes over the, bars 14:, where the obtusely-inclined position of the bars is adapted to disintegrate the lighter adhesions, such as leaves in .cotton, and the enlarged interstices permit the same to descend into the bin orcompartment 20. The relative angles at which the diflt'erent series of bars are set may be varied to advantage for cleansing or disintegrating different materials. The passage ofasbestos through the machine resu ts in a deposit of relatively uniform lengths of the shorter fibers in each of the receptacles 18 and 19, while the needles are deposited in receptacle 20. After traversing the bar series, as above.- described, the fiber is forced intermediate and against the cages 22 24:, and the dust is drawn therefrom through the perforated shafts 23 25 and their respectivepipes 31 and 29.. It, will be observed that the suction of the blower not only conveys the residual material across the machine and is an' auxiliary in the disintegrating operations, but also cleanses the material from dust. The control of the traveling fiber is augmented by the-fact that the partitions 16. 17, and 21 are comparatively air-tight. The fibers after traveling between cages 22 and 24 are delivered from the casing by the rolls 26 and 27. The latter also strip any adhering fiber from the peripheries of the cages. I

. Havingdescribed my invention, whatIclaim 1s 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, of a plurality of bars intermediate the feeding and delivery mechanism -and suction means acting in a horizontal direction on the fiber from its introduction into the machine, for conveying the'material fed over the bars, and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are diiferently spaced. I

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, of a plurality of toothed bars in termediate the feeding and delivery mechanism, and suction means acting in a horizontal direction on the fiber from its introduction into the machine for :onveying the material fed over the bars, and separated receptacles 5 and the other two series being inclined in relation to the vertical series, and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are diflerently spaced.

5. In a machine of thecl'ass described, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, cf a plurality of toothed-bar series intermediate said mechanism, the bars of each series being interspaced differently from the barsin thepther series, and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are diflerently spaced.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the feeding-and delivery mechanism, of a series of inclined toothed bars near theifeeding mechanism, a second series of toothed bars next the'first'barseries vertically positioned and wider spaced, and a third series 'of toothed. bars ,oppositely inclined to the inclination of the first series and spaced wider than the second series and mounted next the second bar series, said series being-arranged at diflerent distances from the picker- 'roller.- and separated receptacles beneathisaid bars and in connection with which said bars are difierently spaced.

7. In a machineof the class described, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, of a plurality of toothed-bar series intermediate said mechanism, said series being disposed at different distances from the picker rollcr, the bars of each series being inclined at'a difierent vertical angle from the bars of the other series, and suction means for forcing the material fed across the bars, and separated'receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are differently spaced. v

8. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with the feeding ,and delivery mechanism, of a plurality oftoothed-bar series intermediate said mechanisms, and disposed at gradually increasing distances from the picker-roller the bars of each series being'interspaced "differently from the bars in the other series, and suction means for forcing the materials fed across the bars and separated re- 8'0 ate said mechanisms, one series being vertical ceptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are differently spaced.

9. In a machine of the classdescribed, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, of an oblong casing intermediate said mechanisms, a plurality of toothed bars mounted transversely in the casing, and strips depending from the bars to form adjacent receptacles.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the feeding and delivery mechanism, of a plurality of toothed bars intermediate the feeding and delivery mechanism, a meshed surface adjacent the toothed bars, and suction means acting in a horizontal 1 direction on the fiber from its introduction into the machine for forcing the material fed against the meshedsurface and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are difierently spaced.

11. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a horizontal series of toothed bars of a meshed surface adjacent the toothed bars and suction'means acting in a horizontal direction on the fiber from its introduction into the machine for conveying the materials over the bars and forcing said materials against the meshed surface and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are differently spaced.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of toothed bars of a the bars,

combination with aseries of toothed bars and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are differently spaced of a revoluble cylindrical cage adjacent suction means acting in a horizontal direction on the fiber from its introduction into'the machine for forcing the materials over the bars and against the cage, and a roll adjacent the cage adapted to strip the material from the cage periphery. a

14:. In a machine of the class described, thecombination with aseries of toothed bars and separated receptacles beneath said bars and in connection with which said bars are differently spaced of revoluble cylindrical cages adjacent the bars, suction means acting in a horizontal direction on the fiber from its introduction into the machine for conveying materials over the bars and intermediate the cages, and a roll adjacent each cage for delivering the materials.

In testimony whereof Ihave afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM s. ARCHER.

Witnesses:

HORA-TIO E. BELLOWS, WILLIAM E. BRowN. 

